Are you a backend developer? If yes, read on to learn more. Whether you are a full-stack, a backend, or even a frontend developer who writes codes for the backend, there are mistakes that you can make despite your expertise level. Even if you use PHP, Golang, Python, Node.js, Java, Ruby, among many more, the following mistakes are inevitable. You will also learn what causes the errors and avoid such a mistake or deal with mistakes that already happened.

• Over-optimization or Over-engineering

Many backend developers have experienced such an issue, if not several times, at least once in their career life. Do you know if not handled as early a possible, it can mean the whole project to start afresh? The leading causes of the over-optimization mistake

• Breaking the SOLID and DRY rules through bad practices.
• Missing documentation
• Extremely long functions
• Missing tests
• Poor naming of variables
• Taking performance lightly, among many more.

In some cases, bad architecture can make the situation to be worse. However, if the problem is with the code, you can go back to file by file, but if the issue is with the whole system, it means starting over afresh because it can’t get fixed.

Over-engineering is when backend developers focus on intricate patterns at a specific time when the problem at hand requires a straightforward approach. At the same time, over-optimization involves putting more energy into performance when it doesn’t matter.

Outcomes

When such small mistakes occur, developers waste more time trying to come up with new features. In extreme cases, it becomes hard to rectify the matter, pushing the developers to start again.

Prevention:

Developers should keep in mind the upcoming steps when developing a specific feature at a given phase in development. If knowing the next stage, they can decide if it is necessary to over-optimize. Also, a developer should know the significance of a specific feature to avoid any possible problems affecting the entire system.

Treatment:

If the mistake already happened and affects everything, the only solution is to refactor and maintain simple practices.

• Missing tests

Missing test mistakes happen when developers fail to cover tests at a given phase, or there are tests conducted when there is a new feature. However, when there are no tests at some level of the pyramid, it implies that developers didn’t conduct maybe one or two tests.

Effects

The mistake leads to complicated code production, thus giving backend developers a hard time maintaining the codes. But then, breaking some features increases bugs, a challenge many backend developers face.

Prevention:

The developers ought to write every test at each level along with new features and regression tests. Developers should consider such tests as a must-do activity in the process of product development. Individual backend developers can use the Test Driven Development approach and Static Code Analysis to check each code.

Treatment:

Always check every feature and step, such as failures, and fix everything at every development process phase.

• Generating a data model without a good plan

Remember one aspect; the data model plays a significant role in the system architecture. If the data model is handled poorly, then as a backend developer, expect some critical errors at some point.

Results:

A poorly designed data model can lead to inadequate data protection, complex data to analyze, and reduced data queries.

Prevention:

Every backend developer must design the data mode carefully. If working with a small team, let them know the data model in advance to avoid complications at some point. However, for larger groups, the sub-team responsible for the data model section should know all the details in advance.

Treatment:

If a poorly designed data model hasn’t reached the deployment phase, the developers in charge can update the required model and remove the invalid one. But then, if the invalid data model has already reached the deployment stage, the developer in charge must write a migration to fix the matter.

• Missing automatic backup of the production database

During the development process, the production data storage can get invalid data because of some manual operations due to bugs. In some cases, the database can be deleted either partially or fully.

Any developer out there will agree that production data is essential in the whole development process. When you compare, it is easy to replace codes, but it can be quite hard to get the information without a proper backup system with a database.

Results:

If such a mistake occurs, the other system users can lose all their work. In the end, it only means one thing; no more production data.

Prevention:

Every backend developer should arrange for an automatic backup.

Treatment:

Always check the process. If there is no backup, sort the matter as soon as possible! Can you imagine if the database is deleted, there are no other Means? However, you can get lucky if one of the team members had saved some of the data manually. Still, if you are fortunate enough, you can obtain some of the log history databases, but it is not always there.

• Using different technologies, libraries, or approaches for the same idea

When working with different backend developers, the chances are that everyone prefers some technologies over others. However, this should not be the case. All backend developers should discuss and agree to use the same programming language or any other given technology when solving an issue.

Results:

Different techniques make the maintenance of the entire system hard due to the higher risks of bugs.

Prevention:

Backend developers should work as one. Whenever a problem arises, they should all agree on which technology to use to solve the matter.

Treatment:

Decide and use the same approach as a team to solve a problem.

• Missing logging

One that counts in any system is the logging details. As a backend developer, you need to log in to get information on the system’s performance.

Results:

The consequences of this mistake are harsh. It is almost impossible to fix bugs at the deployment stage.

Prevention:

Any backend developer must log all the server errors for the production environment.

Apart from that, as a developer, ensure you redact all the details before logging them to prevent leakages.

Treatment:

There is no other solution. Work on the logging immediately!

• SQL injection

Many junior developers have fallen into this trap in most cases. However, senior developers also find themselves trapped in such a mess. The mistake happens when a developer types a query executed in the database.

Results:

The hacker can access the data, which is confidential, and they can end up manipulating the data or, in a worst-case scenario, deleting the information.

Prevention:

To stay safe from such mistake, every backend developer should include crucial steps such as analyzing every query, reviewing codes carefully, using a few strings, using many database and database users, and finally have an automatic database backup (to get back the data deleted by the hacker)

Treatment:

Put safety measures in every step of the development process.

• Missing production microservices monitoring & alerting

The problem arises when there is no close supervision of the development process. As a result, the microservice goes down for some time, causing more significant issues. So, as a backend developer, always stay on toes to monitor all the microservices. If any declines, work on it sooner.

Results

The mistake creates serious bugs when any microservice goes down because the entire system will collapse

Prevention:

Backend developers can create a system to monitor each microservices after creating the production environment.

Treatment:

Always work on failing microservices urgently and check any missing monitors in the production system.

Conclusion

Every professional field has its downfalls. Backend developers aren’t exceptional. No matter how experienced a backend developer can be, there are always those small mistakes that can bring the entire system down. Always monitor every stage you take to avoid extra costs.

For more information feel free to contact Aalpha

Also check: Back end programming languages